There had been much anticipation among fans over the casting of a young Dwayne Pride in NCIS: Origins, a character originally played by Scott Bakula in NCIS: New Orleans. It seems that the search is over, and Shea Buckner, seen recently in Only Murders in the Building, is going to step into the role of Pride.

Shea Buckner joins NCIS: Origins cast as young Dwayne Pride

Shea Buckner, known for his roles in shows like The Rookie, The Blacklist, The Equalizer, and Power Book II: Ghost, is reportedly joining the cast of NCIS: Origins as a young Dwayne Pride.

Dwayne Pride, originally portrayed by Scott Bakula in NCIS: New Orleans, was one of the main characters for all seven seasons of the series. In the exciting prequel series, Pride will be a former Sheriff’s Deputy and a newly minted Probationary Special Agent from the NIS Panama office. He seems to have a history with Gibbs that he has to resolve before going undercover with him.

The episode featuring Buckner’s Pride will air later this season, according to a report from Deadline. This episode will also reportedly reunite the Fed Five task force, a group of exceptional NIS agents who unmasked the Privileged Killer, Spencer Hanlon, in the original NCIS series.

The group features Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Michael Franks, Dan McLane, Felix Betts, and Dwayne Pride. CBS has reportedly been looking for actors to play the younger versions of McLane and Betts.

The original Fed Five storyline dates back to the 11th season of NCIS. The two-part storyline also served as a backdoor pilot to NCIS: New Orleans and introduced Pride to the universe.

Exploring the rich history of the NCIS was always a goal for showrunners Gina Lucita Monrealand and David J. North. Now it seems that the universe is going to expand further around the histories of fan-favorite characters.

NCIS: Origins Season 2 Episode 7 premieres on November 26, 2025.